ROLE OF STUDENT SERVICES IN THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT

OF STUDENTS IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

Prof. Jefferson Mendoza Sadera, DPA

Prof. Fevvie Von Gregorio Asistio, MALT, MARE

Holistic development of students is a mandate of higher education institutions (HEIs) as the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) requires all HEIs to provide and adopt sound policies
and standards on student affairs and services (SAS) including guidelines for implementation. It is
committed to monitor HEIs in their compliance for the delivery of appropriate, quality, relevant
and efficient student services.
It is the obligation of HEIs to consider students as equal and fundamental partners and
stakeholders in their own education with the right to be delighted with the services received as
they see fit within the context of their educational institutions, systems and communities (Pace,
et al. 2006).
The foregoing manifestations show the increasing importance that student affairs and services
play in HEIs. Student services is one of the essential aspects of an academic institution. It intends
to provide the needs of students while inside the school. However, many aspects of student life,
on an academic, social or cultural level, become more difficult to understand and manage with a
population that finds itself in a state of continual growth and diversification (Audin and Davy,
2003). Thus, there is really a demand to create an efficient students services addressing the need
to provide support to students in terms of academic, personal, social, cultural and cognitive
development (Ciobanu, 2013). Such demand requires effective management of student affairs
and services including the role of an overall manager for student services whose responsibilities
are to provide co-ordination in developing functions and activities that enhance student learning
and success within the context of a student services vision and mission (Arminio, 2009).
Cadag (2017) emphasized that student services providers are facing challenges as follows: (a)
increasing cost of higher education due to inevitable tuition fee hike; (b) student demographics;
(c) demands for more accountability; and (d) issues on the ethical environment on campus. All
these demand due attention. To address these challenges, Cadag (2017) also proposed that
student affairs and services professional must exert their best effort to deliver quality services
and manage efficiently student activities through employing quality management, modifying
programs and services to meet students’ emerging needs, seeking new sources of revenues while
searching to contain costs, forging partnerships, establishing linkages and focusing efforts to
enhance students’ involvement on various campus-wide activities. These efforts of students
affairs and services professionals will surely result to “turning the brain drain to brain gain for all
nations” (Arminio, 2009).
Students are the reason of existence of HEIs. Thus, a thorough knowledge of the composition
and characteristics (demographics) of the student population, the broad diversity, their
expectations and satisfaction, their psychosocial physical development, as well as their behavior
and motivation is crucial in ensuring the development and administration of the programs
necessary to promote student success (Rhatigan, 2000).

Student affairs and services professionals, with the academic professionals, are required to be
specialists on knowledge and understanding about students and their development. Analyzing
and utilizing the existing data, they need to devise a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of
students’ expectation, identifying inadequate or missing information elements so that they can
initiate appropriate action and inform school administrators, academic professionals, student
leaders, government officials and other stakeholders of the nature of the student body
In light of the foregoing, the researchers intend to evaluate the student services of Columban
College, Inc. and their influence to students’ development. The specific objectives are: (1) assess
the extent of effectiveness of student services provided by Columban College, Inc.; 2) determine
the status of student development as addressed by the different units of the Office of Student
Affairs and Services; 3) find out if the status of student development is related to the extent of
effectiveness of student services provided by Columban College, Inc.; and, 4) identify student
affairs and services professionals’ factors that are associated with the extent of effectiveness of
student services provided and student development of Columban College, Inc.